Earth Day, Every Day: 3 Jewelers With a Flair for Conscious Design

Increasingly, jewelry designers and manufacturers are taking note of the importance of environmentally friendly and conflict-free materials. There is a long list of companies doing it well—very well—and I have a trio of standouts to share with you here, on this fine Earth Day. Be sure to put each of these on your list of must-sees at JCK Las Vegas next month!

Susan Wheeler Design

Susan Wheeler is a total texture pro, and all of her pieces are made by hand with recycled gold, conflict-free diamonds, and ethically sourced gems. Lovers of rare or unusual stones will swoon over her pieces, which include finds like natural dendritic quartz showcasing scenes that look like fields of flowers—it boggles my mind that these patterns occur naturally (yay, nature!). Wheeler lets the gemstones take center stage and crafts pieces around them to showcase their designs or natural shapes. One of my favorite jewels of all time remains the Pond pendant (pictured below), featuring a nearly heart-shape opal, framed with diamonds in a textured pendant setting.

Yael Designs

Big, bold jewels featuring gemstones like tanzanite, emerald, fire opal, and morganite are prevelant here, all made with recycled metals and conflict-free gemstones. You’re probably familiar with Yael Designs (if not, you haven’t been reading my blog!), the San Francisco–area powerhouse is a mainstay in the JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards (and with good reason!). Delicious detail, bold color, and a growing bridal line are reasons enough to draw you in, but a conscious approach to jewelry creation should secure customers for a lifetime.

Arya Esha

Handmade and one-of-a-kind, Arya Esha‘s pieces are made with—you guessed it—recycled metals, conflict- and-devastation-free diamonds, and ethically sourced gemstones. The three star collections are each quite different from the next, offering something for every type of customer. If you have been keeping up on this blog, I recently wrote a post on designer Priyanka Murthy, a JCK Rising Star this year, which you can read here.